Flowchart of the Editions

[Gentlegamer]

AD&D branched from the original D&D game plus its supplements (Greyhawk, etc.), not from the Holmes basic D&D set.

 

[Cobblestone]

Ah, that old AD&D DMG...

Hadn't seen the cover of the 1st ed. DMG (the one in the second row). I had forgotten how perfectly it evoked everything I wanted DMing to be. Welcome to my world indeed. I wish the last edition had covers as evocative, though I did like the "musty tome" theme at the time.

C-stone

 

[Zander]

The Players Options books codified the rules for, among other things, Reach, Attacks of Opportunity (the phrase originated there, not in 3e, for example)...

I don't have my D&D books to hand but I believe that attacks of opportunity originated not in the PO books but in 1E and they were described in those words. You took an attack of opportunity when you fled from a melee opponent and turned your back on him. Admittedly, the PO rules for AoOs were more extensive than the earlier ones.

 

[Mark Hope]

I don't have my D&D books to hand but I believe that attacks of opportunity originated not in the PO books but in 1E and they were described in those words. You took an attack of opportunity when you fled from a melee opponent and turned your back on him. Admittedly, the PO rules for AoOs were more extensive than the earlier ones.

Correct, but they weren't called called AoOs back then, they were called "free attacks" (DMG p70.) I'm trying to say that they came into something resembling their present form, nomenclature included, in the PO series. (More or less what you're saying too .)

 

[mcrow]

Nice looking chart.

do you have red box comming?

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

Pretty, but I'm afraid I can't read them.

Yes, please make the font larger/legible. Other than that, it looks cool

 

[Simon Atavax]

I don't have my D&D books to hand but I believe that attacks of opportunity originated not in the PO books but in 1E and they were described in those words. You took an attack of opportunity when you fled from a melee opponent and turned your back on him. Admittedly, the PO rules for AoOs were more extensive than the earlier ones.

Doesn't the Moldvay D&D Basic book (red cover) describe "attack of opportunity" if your opponent flees while engaged in melee with you?

 

[Mark Hope]

Doesn't the Moldvay D&D Basic book (red cover) describe "attack of opportunity" if your opponent flees while engaged in melee with you?

Don't think so. It has a section on Retreating, which grants a +2 to hit for attacks against the retreating character, but no mention of AoOs AFAIK.

 

[Slife]

Prestige classes were almost definitely inspired by the way Druids and Paladins (for example) are handled in the Rules Cyclopedia. There you must be either a Neutral Cleric or a Lawful Fighter of a certain level, and then you can change classes to Druid or Paladin.

Or 1e Bards.

 

[diaglo]

Doesn't the Moldvay D&D Basic book (red cover) describe "attack of opportunity" if your opponent flees while engaged in melee with you?

it was in Chainmail and OD&D(1974) too.

you got a free attack when your opponent fled from battle